Cards, Dark, and Krad
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: The Phantom Thief, Dark, had a reputation for being both a flirt and a thief. But after he fails to steal an artwork that sends Daisuke, Satoshi, and Risa into another world, he gains a reputation for something else entirely. But two questions come to his mind. What the heck is a Number! And why the heck did he and Krad turn into two of them!
1. Chapter 1

**Yu-gi-oh Zexal/DNAngel Crossover**

**Cards, Dark, and Krad**

**Friendship/Angst**

**Satoshi/Daisuke/Yuma/Seven Barian Emperors**

**The Phantom Thief, Dark, had a reputation for being both a flirt and a thief. But after he fails to steal an artwork that sends Daisuke, Satoshi, and Risa into another world, he gains a reputation for something else entirely. But two questions come to his mind. What the heck is a Number?! And why the heck did he and Krad turn into two of them?!**

**(I own absolutely none of this. If something like this happens, cool. But until then, the only thing I own is the story.)**

* * *

**D.T.B: Hello, everyone! And welcome to the first ever DNAngel and Zexal crossover! XD **

**I am hoping to make this as interesting as I can, but I shall have to admit right now, I am clueless as to what the heck several important plot pieces are missing. You'll see what I mean as I work, but for right now, just read and enjoy. Welcome Krad, Dark, Satoshi, Daisuke, and Risa Harada to HEARTLAND! XD**

* * *

Chapter 1

Where the Heck are We?

* * *

It was just a simple job. Go in, get the artwork, humiliate Satoshi, and get out. Maybe mess with Krad if he could.

It was just supposed to be one of those nights. One of those nights were Dark was allowed to be himself and soar through the skies of Azumano and spread his wings for an hour or so.

A simple night for the great Phantom Thief Dark, lover of women, loather of Hikari artworks.

So how in the heck did THIS happen?

Now, you are most likely confused and are contemplating whether or not you should continue reading this little story. Let me explain. To properly do so, however, we shall have to go back a very long time ago.

* * *

(About 1 hour ago.)

"Come on, Daisuke!" Dark exclaimed. "Quit freaking out! We're just going to get that stupid artwork and then we'll hightail outta here!"

"_But, Dark, that's not the point!"_ Daisuke shouted in his head. "_Dad warned us that there's something about the artwork that's a little more unusual than the other ones we normally go after._"

"So it's got a stupid name," Dark said. "Big deal."

"_It's a VERY big deal, Dark!_" Daisuke snapped. "_The Hikari artworks all have pretty names. Stuff you'd give to your family. Not like this one!_"

"You telling me you'd name your kid Argentine? Or Krad?" Dark smiled at when he mentioned 'Krad.'

"_Well...no, but-_"

"So let's just get the artwork and get out of here before Creepy Boy finds us and gives me a hard time again."

"_His NAME is Hiwatari!_" Daisuke corrected. "_Give him a break, Dark!"_

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Dark.

He walked up the stairs, knocking out various police officers as he made his way to the room where they kept the new artwork in question. As soon as he reached it, he let out a laugh. Unlike the other artworks of the Hikari, this artwork was neither brightly colored nor sweetly named. It was garnet red over jet black, all the while appearing to be something like a throne with a monstrous being resting in the seat. His clawed hands were resting on the arms of the throne, and five great tentacles were stretched outside. Contrary to the other amazing artworks of the Hikari clan, which had been gifted with unparallelled beauty or handsomeness, the artwork before them was ugly and dark, almost alien in appearance. Better scratch that actually. It WAS alien in appearance. Even its ruby-red eyes were alien.

While Daisuke was, admittedly, quite freaked out about the artwork they were looking at, Dark merely laughed. "So that's the scary **Will of Barian World,** huh?" he asked.

"_Yeah,_" Daisuke confirmed. "_And I agree. It IS scary._"

"Oh, you're such a scaredy-cat, Daisuke," Dark teased. "Come on. It's not gonna bite you or anything." He started walking over to the artwork and reached out to it. "Let's just get it and get the heck out of here, before you-know-who shows u-"

"I'm gonna have to ask you to leave that artwork alone, Dark," a voice said, interrupting Dark with such perfect timing, one might even say he rehearsed it.

Dark merely let out a groan.

Him again.

Dark turned his head and faced the person in question. Yep, it was him alright. Same indifferent expression, same uniform, same note pad being tucked into his pocket by his thin fingers.

Satoshi Hiwatari.

The bluenette poked his glasses closer to his face and looked over to Dark. "I want you to turn around and leave, Dark," he said. "I'd rather not go through this with you tonight."

Daisuke could tell that Satoshi was exhausted as usual. Probably from Krad giving him a hard time again. Otherwise, he wouldn't have just asked politely for Dark to leave the museum. "_Hiwatari-kun__,_" Daisuke thought worriedly.

As usual, Dark noticed this, but failed to show any sympathy for the prodigy. "If you want me to leave," he said, "I'll take that creepy artwork with me."

Satoshi scowled. Then he started over to Dark, only to stop when a familiar power started surging through his being. Then he doubled over, the power growing by the second. Dark readied himself. When Satoshi felt like that, that meant only one thing.

His annoying other half was coming.

And Satoshi rarely had the strength to force him away.

"G-Go away, Krad," Satoshi groaned.

"_**I'm so sorry, Satoshi-sama,**_" Krad began, "_**but no. I've got business to handle too, you know. If you won't stop them, then I'll handle them myself!**_"

"_Hiwatari-kun!"_ Daisuke shouted.

Both Dark and Daisuke could only watch as Satoshi fell to the ground, his face contorted with pain as two bright wings erupted from his back. Then his hair changed from blue to blond, and he forced himself to stand up.

Then the man before them stared into Dark's eyes, his golden orbs looking wicked and full of malice.

It was Krad.

"Well, hello, Dark Mousy," he said, his face adopting an evil grin. "It's been too long."

"Not long enough," Dark responded.

"Oh, don't be so mean," Krad said, feigning hurt.

Dark gave Krad his usual toothy grin.

Daisuke knew right away what Dark was planning on doing. "_Don't even think about it, Dark!_" he shouted. "_Let's just get the artwork and go home!"_

Dark groaned in annoyance. Then he started for the artwork, with Krad following close behind.

That was when it went crazy.

Dark touched the artwork.

Krad touched Dark.

And Risa revealed herself, having been hiding behind the artwork's pedestal the entire time. (How the police failed to notice her, I haven't the faintest idea.)

There was a bright light, a scream of "Dark-san," "Daisuke," "Dark," and "Hiwatari," and a dark, villainous laugh. Then everything went black.

* * *

"Hiwa...Hiwatari...Hiwatari-kun."

Satoshi opened his eyes to see his red-haired companion giving his shoulder a quick shake. "N-Niwa," Satoshi said softly. "What happened?"

Daisuke didn't answer, rather, he looked to the skies.

Satoshi followed shortly after.

They weren't in the museum anymore. They weren't even in Azumano.

The place they woke up at was filled with strangely shaped buildings and egg-shaped machines picking up litter.

Nope. It wasn't home.

The question was...where were they?

Naturally, that question was quickly answered, though not in a way they wanted. The honking of a car horn forced them to race out of the middle of the road, the place they hadn't realized they were laying down the entire time. "Dark, where did you take us this time?" Daisuke asked.

Then something happened that scared him out of his red haired wits.

Dark didn't answer.

* * *

**D.T.B: Well, that's chapter one for you. (I think.) Kinda short, I know, but hey, things always get longer as the story goes on. Especially when I get to the duels. **

**So, Satoshi and Daisuke are now in Heartland City. But where is Risa? Why is Dark not answering Daisuke? Is he sick? Injured? Pouting?! Guess you'll have to read to find out, huh? Please leave a review and tell me how I did. I plan to continue this to the end, but reviews are good morale boosters. :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**D.T.B: Thank you, Frozen Galaxy, Little Black Rose, and Guest, for your kind reviews. I am going to write while I can, but I think I'll be updating every other week. Unless you feel the sudden urge for me to slow down on some of my other stories. Hehehe. [rubs back of head awkwardly.] Anyway, chapter 2 is up. Please enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Missing Krad and Red Sands**

* * *

"Dark? Dark!" Daisuke called again.

"Niwa, what's the matter?" Satoshi asked worriedly.

"It's Dark," Daisuke said. "I can't...I can't hear him. I can't even feel him."

His fingers wrapped around his shirt as he struggled to make sense of it. Did something about that artwork maybe hurt Dark in some way? Could it be fixed if it did? What could happen if it was something Daisuke couldn't handle on his own?

Satoshi narrowed his eyes as he ran his fingers through his blue hair. "What's going on?" he thought to himself. "Something's up."

"Dark?! Why aren't you talking to me?! Dark!"

"Niwa, calm down," Satoshi said. "All you're doing is attracting attention to your-"

He stopped almost immediately. The familiar pain that came after Krad's forced take-over attacked him again and he doubled over, a grunt escaping through his teeth. "H-Hiwatari-kun!" Daisuke shouted immediately, reaching forward and catching his friend as he fell over. "Hiwatari-kun! Daijoubu?"

Satoshi gave no response for a minute. "I'm fine," he said. "Just give me a minute."

"Don't strain yourself," Daiskue said. He started looking around. "Let's go find you a place to sit down."

Satoshi offered no resistance. He was too exhausted to say anything against and quite frankly, he needed to sit down. Not only were his legs beginning to give out on him – no thanks to Krad jumping out when he wasn't supposed to – he had to keep his back hidden from view. If anybody saw the tears in the back of his shirt, they'd certainly ask questions. Again, no thanks to Krad.

Daisuke looked at his friend worriedly. "Dark," he called mentally. "Come on Dark. Answer me. We really need you, Dark."

Again, he had received no answer.

All he received was more worry. (Sorry, Daisuke.)

* * *

(Later)

Satoshi was resting on a bench in what appeared to be a mall area. He didn't know where Daisuke went, though he had a guess. More than likely, he was either looking for something to help Satoshi feel more comfortable, or trying to find a way to communicate with Dark again. Either one made perfect sense, in his opinion. That's just the way Daisuke was.

A light sigh escaped Satoshi as he leaned his head back. The sky was azure blue, with hardly a cloud in the sky. "What happened?" he thought to himself. "That artwork wasn't in the Hikari history books. What...is it?"

He sighed again and leaned against his hands. He didn't revel in the thought of speaking to Krad, but he might as well. Even if his curse would only give him a cryptic answer, at least he'd have something. So he closed his eyes and allowed himself to enter his 'silent place,' the place where Krad usually dwelled whenever he wasn't outside, taking control of Satoshi's body.* "Krad?" he called out. "I need to talk to you."

When he received no reply, even Satoshi had to admit to being slightly worried. So he walked further in, despite the chill that was going up his spine with every step he took. "Krad!" he said again, louder this time. "Answer me, Krad! I need you to answer a few questions for me."

No response. Then he noticed something.

Krad wasn't resting in the 'eggshell.' (Those who've ready the manga should know what on Barian World I'm talking about. I hope.)

Instantly, Satoshi stiffened up. "Krad!?" he shouted. "Krad!"

No response.

His curse wasn't there.

He didn't know what forced him to scream. He hated Krad and usually rejoiced in the thought of the blond angel leaving his life for good. But for some reason, all he was getting was a chill and worry. So he let out a single cry, hoping that maybe, just that once, Krad would hear him and answer him.

"KRAD!"

Everything went black after that, but he could hear two voices, neither of them Krad's. One, he recognized to be Daisuke shouting his name. The other, however, was not one he knew. Not even Takeshi had a voice that high pitched.

* * *

"Hey," a voice called out. "Hey, are you alright?"

Satoshi's eyes flickered open. Daisuke was looking down at him, a cloth and spare shirt in his hands, worry in his eyes. Beside him stood a boy with really messed up hair. (When compared to Daisuke's anyway.) It was jet black with red highlights. It actually looked closer to a really stiff wig that they used during the Freedert play. (No, it actually doesn't, but what the hey. It's an example.) His red eyes were staring down at Satoshi with worry. "Hey, are you okay?" the boy asked. "I think you fainted."

Satoshi didn't respond. His eyes directed themselves to Daisuke, who looked just a tad bit too frightened to speak a word. With a grunt, he started to push himself back up. "I'm fine," he said simply.

"You shouldn't be moving yet, Hiwatari-kun!" Daisuke shouted instantly. "Fainting spells can be dangerous!"

"I'm fine, Niwa," Satoshi said.

He attempted to push himself up the rest of the way, but both Daisuke and the boy helped him sit back down. Then Daisuke placed the shirt on Satoshi's back. "So are you really okay, Hiwatari-kun?"

"Yes," Satoshi said simply. "I'm fine now."

While he claimed to be fine, he was actually very nervous. He clenched the cloth over his heard and his face twisted into an expression of worry. "Krad," he thought. "He's not inside me anymore. But then...where is he? Could he have attained his own body? And if he did, then where is he?"

"..iwatari-kun? Hiwatari-kun!?"

Instantly, Satoshi jerked himself up and looked over to Daisuke, who looked unbearably worried about his friend. "What is it?" he asked.

"You spaced out for a second there," Daisuke said. "And you look kinda pale. Is something wrong?"

Satoshi wanted to inform Daisuke about the issue with Krad, but two things prevented him from doing so. The first being the boy standing beside him. The second, however, was a dizzy feeling that was washing over him again. His body felt too light without Krad weighing him down.

Suddenly, an image of a red plain flashed through his head. His stomach jumped and turned itself inside out, forcing him to double over and cover his face, much to the fear and worry of his friend. "Hiwatari-kun!" Daisuke shouted. "What's the matter?!"

The images refused to let up. He could see not just red sand, but red pillars of pure garnet and a palace made of the precious mineral. Then he could see beings of different colors – wisteria, yellow, red, green – and finally, a muscular demon with a gaze that would kill. Instantly, Satoshi paled and his breathing worsened. Then finally...he blacked out.

"H-Hiwatari-kun!" Daisuke shouted, catching his friend as he fell forward. "Oi! Hiwatari-kun! Talk to me!"

"He looks kinda sick," the boy said. "Is something wrong with him?" Then he looked to the side and began to initiate a conversation with thin air. "Huh? Oh, come on, Astral! What do you mean, 'don't trust them?'"

"Um...what's going on?" Daisuke asked.

"Oh, nothing," the boy said, swinging his hand this way and that. "Hey, I know. Why don't we take your friend to my house? He can rest up there and my granny can make really good food."

Daisuke smiled. "Thank you," he said. "Um..."

"Oh, that's right!" the boy exclaimed. "The name's Yuma. Nice to meetcha."

* * *

* In volume 3 of DNAngel, Daisuke had hidden himself in this eggshell thing. It looked to me that Satoshi did the same thing in volume 5, though for different reasons.

* * *

**D.T.B: Yay. This chapter's slightly longer already. SUPER! XD **

**So. News flash. Krad is missing! Where could he be? Does it have something to do with that strange red place that Satoshi saw? How did he even see it in the first place? Answer: Got me. XD I've got an idea there, but you never know. Might not work. Anyway, next chapter, we might be getting a duel. Either that, or we'll be going to Barian World. Or both. Dunno. Guess we'll find out when we get there. See you for now. Don't forget to review. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**D.T.B: Thanks, AstralRocks, for your suggestion. You saved my hide.**

**Satoshi: What am I doing here?**

**D.T.B: Disclaimer. :D**

**Satoshi: Durbe the Barian doesn't own DNAngel. She also doesn't own Zexal – whatever that is. If she DID own any of it, I actually don't know what could happen. She's more unpredictable than Risa.**

**D.T.B: Hey. Risa is VERY predictable. **

**Daisuke: Okay, I've got the camera ready.**

**D.T.B: SWEET! Chapter Time! **

* * *

Chapter 3

Yuma Meeting Daisuke. (Or what happened before Satoshi fainted.)

* * *

(Astral's POV)

"Alright, Utopia!" Yuma chose to shout. "Attack him directly!"

Our great monster then raised his large sword and swung at our opponent.

[Opponent's LP – ? → 0]

"Yatta!" Yuma shouted, jumping in the air. The look on his face lead me to assume he was happy. "I win!"

"I hardly believe that is a victory worth celebrating, Yuma," I said. "Your opponent was just a terrible duelist."

"So what?" Yuma asked. "It was still a great duel."

I released a sigh from my lungs and rested in the air. "Believe what you shall, Yuma," I said. "Regardless, it was still a poor duel. And your own stratagems were faulty. You were extremely fortunate that your opponent was an amateur. Otherwise, you would have surely been defeated. Many times over, in point of fact."

I believe I saw steam fly out of Yuma's ears. If I am correct, that indicates that I angered him.

Again.

Not very surprising, seeing as how Yuma is hardly someone who can control his temper.

I release yet another sigh when I notice Yuma is glaring at me. He does not seem to be pleased with my choice of words. Observation number 24: Yuma does not take criticism very well. I must remember to remember that.

I turned my head when I heard someone tripping over people's feet – if one could consider that possible. Yuma followed shortly after.

A young boy with bright red hair, wearing a strange uniform, seemed to be looking for something. "Uh, excuse me," he had said. "Do you know where I can find a shirt or something? A friend of mine needs it."

"What's up with him?" Yuma asked.

"I imagine he is looking for that clothing store," I suggest. "The only question I have is why."

"Well, let's go ask," Yuma said.

I had hardly the time to object. Yuma had raced over to that boy before I had the opportunity to so much as open my mouth.

Honestly, Yuma. Please learn to control yourself.

* * *

Yuma touched the boy's shoulder. Following this transaction, the boy jerked his head towards Yuma. His eyes were wide and bright red, briefly reminding me of Yuma. His features were slightly more delicate than Yuma's, however, and his hair was more natural. Not to mention, he was also taller and thinner. "I wonder who this boy is," I had caught myself thinking.

He seemed to be...different. I was unsure how I could describe the feeling I got off of him. Just that...he had an aura around him that I had never felt from other people. Not even the Barians* possessed such an aura.

"What's up?" Yuma asked. "You lost or something? Who are you anyway? I've never seen you around here."

"Oh," the boy had said, rubbing the back of his head. I believe that is what humans do when they are at a 'loss for words,' which I have always found odd. I fail to understand how someone can actually lose words, as words are intangible. But then again, Yuma has been fully capable of losing memories of what transpired in a class lesson. So I suppose it shouldn't be surprising that words can be lost.

(Astral, you are totally drifting off-track.)

Indeed. Back to the story, as you so often say.

"Well," the boy continued, "my name's Daisuke Niwa. A friend of mine is really tired and he might be sick."

"Whoa," Yuma said, his mouth turned into that strange 'O' shape that he usually has when he is preparing to eat food. "What's his problem? A stomach ache?"

The boy, Daisuke, simply shrunk back and a drop of sweat appeared on his head. "I think it's a little worse than a stomach ache," he had chosen to say.

"Where is he?" Yuma said suddenly. "Maybe I can help him out."

"Oh, I don't know," Daisuke said. "He's not used to being around people."

Yuma no longer had the opportunity to speak, as we all had heard something hit the ground. Very hard, I might add. I believe Yuma would have said it was 'like they fell like a sack of a potatoes.'

Daisuke turned towards the source and his eyes were wider than I had ever seen before. Not even Yuma had eyes as wide as that before. "Hiwatari-kun!" he had exclaimed.

"Himawari?" Yuma asked.

I wished to slap my forehead when he said that. "Yuma," I said. "He said 'Hiwatari."

"Oh," Yuma responded. "Who's Hiwatari?"

"My friend!" Daisuke shouted.

With that, he raced back through the crowd. Yuma followed closely behind. Naturally, with him wearing the Key, I had to follow behind him.

That was when we had seen him.

A young boy with short, blue hair and pale skin. His face seemed to be pained, as if he was suffering from a nightmare. Much worse than what I had ever seen on Yuma's face. He seemed to be in terrible pain.

"Hiwatari-kun!" Daisuke shouted. Then he fell to his knees and began shaking him by the shoulders.

"Is he sick?" Yuma asked.

"I don't know," Daisuke said, refusing to turn to face Yuma.

A minute had passed.

"Please keep an eye on him," Daisuke said, stepping away from the boy on the ground. "I have to get him a couple of things."

"Okay," Yuma replied. "You got it."

"Thank you so much," Daisuke responded. Then he raced away.

Shortly after that, I looked down on the blue-haired boy.

That was when I noticed something strange.

The shirt he was wearing had been completely torn apart. It was as if something had exploded on his back. I found it strange.

What had happened to this boy?

What was the feeling that I was getting from both Daisuke...and the boy before me?

Who...were these boys?

* * *

*Barians – I only added this because I fear that I am giving spoilers to a fan. The Barians shall be important in the storyline and if you don't mind spoilers, then okay. Otherwise, you'll either want to catch up quickly, or not read the rest of the story until you do.

* * *

**D.T.B: So again, thank you so much, AstralRocks, for your suggestion. That saved my story. Now, NEXT CHAPTER, we shall be going to Barian World, then back to Earth. You'll have to figure out what happens when I get there. Please review. I might be able to get Kaito in here soon. I hope. Gah.**


	4. Chapter 4

**D.T.B: Thank you, all, for your kind reviews last chapter. It's nice to see that people are noticing this little story, all by its lonesome. :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own either story. Don't own Barian World. Don't own Barians. Don't own Dark. Don't own Krad. I only own my gratefulness that I am not going to end up with the flames.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Dark and Krad

* * *

Dark sat up with a yawn, his hand reaching to the back of his violet hair. Then he proceeded to scratch the sand out of his 'dashingly, cool looking hair.' ←[No complaints please.]

"That was a good nap," Dark said, getting back onto his feet. "Alright, Daisuke, let's go-"

He then opened his eyes and froze.

The world he was in was hardly the museum. It was blood red with garnet stalagmites and crystal floors. Even the sun hanging overhead was like a ruby, only being lit up by a flashlight.

"Okay, Daisuke," he growled, "what did you do this time?"

Silence.

No response.

"Daisuke?" Dark repeated, turning his head to face his wings. "You're not sulking, are you?"

Again, no response.

"Daisuke?" Dark thought worriedly. He did a complete spin around, hoping to see Daisuke.

No luck.

"Daisuke!" Dark shouted.

He then looked at his hands as his fears began to eat away at his being.

He couldn't believe it. He'd lost track of Daisuke.

Again.

"Where did that little kid go?" Dark asked with a growl. "And now that I think about it, where did **I** go?! This isn't any artwork world **I've** seen. It doesn't feel like the Hikari's work in any way."

A small groan escaped from behind him, prompting Dark to turn around. Then he let out a growl.

His other half was sprawled out on the garnet sand, futilely attempting to pick himself up off the ground. His clothing was dirty and wrinkled, something that was sure to bring the homicidal blond great anger when he took notice. His blond hair was messed up and thrown all over his face. (Think volume 8.)

"Krad," Dark mumbled.

Krad then looked up to Dark, anger and frustration snapping in his golden eyes. "Dark Mousy," he growled.

"Good to see you're still in the world of the living," Dark said. "Stealing stuff wouldn't be as much fun otherwise."

Krad let out a chuckle. "How good to hear, Dark Mousy."

Then he forced himself back onto his feet.

Then he looked around. A scoff escaped him as he said, "What did you do this time, Dark?"

"I didn't do anything!" Dark denied. "What did **you** do, Krad?"

"The only thing I did was try to kill you," Krad said. "I wasn't the one who touched the artwork."

"I only touched it because you were getting in my way!"

"Don't give me that, Dark Mousy. You would have taken it anyway."

"Yeah, but not with you on my shoulders, I wouldn't!"

"Are you determined to place the blame on me?"

"You got that right, you icy blond!"

"Resorting to name calling, Dark Mousy? How unprofessional."

"Um...who are you?"

Both angels froze. Then they turned.

A tiny girl wearing a pink tunic was hiding behind one of the garnet stalagmites, her bright blue sparkling with either curiosity or fear. Dark couldn't tell which one. She had emerald green hair, something that brought a tinge of curiosity to the Phantom Thief, and her skin was a healthy pale.

She looked like a little princess.

"Hey, kid," Dark said, bending down on his knee and holding a hand out to her. "What's the matter?"

The child ducked behind the garnet stalagmite even more.

"Oh, don't worry," Dark said. "This guy won't hurt you." He pointed to Krad, a toothy grin appearing on his features. "He couldn't even if he wanted to."

"Would you like to prove that, Dark Mousy?" Krad asked, readying his feather.

With a gasp, the little girl raced away. "Hey," Dark exclaimed. "Don't go. We don't know where we are."

Little late. The girl had already left.

With a grunt, Dark got back on his feet, turned to his other half, and said, "Thanks a lot, Krad. You scared her."

"Who was the one with the scary face that was beckoning an innocent child to come over to two strangers?" Krad asked.

"Who was the one who readied the feather!?"

Their argument was quickly put to a stop, however, when they heard a low growl.

Like a dragon or something.

"Krad," Dark said, "tell me that was your stomach."

"That wasn't my stomach, Dark Mousy," Krad said. "Please tell me it was yours."

Dark shook his head.

Slowly, they both looked up, right behind Krad.

Then Dark gulped.

Behind Krad stood a large, orange dragon with dark grey armor. It possessed two sets of wings, instead of the usual one, and its green eyes were staring down at the angels with a menacing glare.

"That thing," Dark began, pointing up to the dragon, "doesn't think we're dinner, does it?"

"Why don't you go up to it and see if it swallows you whole?" Krad suggested. "Then we'd know for certain."

"No thanks," Dark said. "I'm not in the mood."

Then the dragon let out a fierce roar.

"Any other suggestions then, Dark Mousy!?" Krad asked, covering his face with his hands.

"Yeah, one," Dark said. "Run!" With that, he turned and raced away.

Krad, who was in silent agreement, followed suit.

Then the dragon, who took to the air, scanning the area ahead of Dark and Krad. The stalagmites were getting closer and closer together, leaving very little room for the two angels to take flight.

They had become like rats in a trap.

* * *

(In the Tsukumo household.)

Satoshi was sweating like a dog under the covers of Yuma's bed. (Not the hammock. Yuma has an actual BED.) His expression clearly said he was suffering from nightmares. Nightmares he had no desire to endure for any reason.

Red fields were flashing past his vision. Garnet stalagmites, a shrill roar, a tiny girl. He couldn't understand it, but he felt like he was right there, watching them as they happened.

"K-Krad," he breathed softly, placing a hand over his head. "K-Krad."

At that point, Daisuke came up the step, worry still painting his face. "Hiwatari-kun, are you feeling better?"

Satoshi's paler than normal face gave him all the answer he needed. Making his way up the rest of the stairs, Daisuke then walked over to Satoshi and felt his forehead.

The young prodigy wasn't getting any better. In fact, he was only getting worse.

"Hiwatari-kun," Daisuke breathed. He then hung his head. "Oh, Dark. Where are you?"

* * *

(Back with the troublemaking angels.)

Krad kept his eyes locked on the air. More specifically, the dragon flying above him as he ran. "We can't keep running like this, Dark Mousy," he said.

"Yeah, I know," Dark admitted. "But we can try."

"Exactly how long can we do that?" Krad asked.

'Not for very long' was the answer that they didn't want to hear.

Because Krad had spent more time in the air than on the ground, he wasn't as adept at keeping his balance as Dark was. So when he hit his foot on a rock, he didn't have the ability to pick himself back up. As a result, he fell to the ground, getting a large amount of garnet sand in his mouth.

Instantly, the dragon saw his chance. He dove to the ground, capturing Krad in his talons. The blond angel then let out a pain-filled scream

"Krad!" Dark shouted, freezing in his tracks and looking over to his archenemy.

Krad forced his head to turn, allowing him to make eye contact with the beast that held him down. The dragon, in turn, let out a low growl before thrusting its head at Krad's captured form.

"KRAD!" Dark shouted.

"Satoshi-sama!" Krad mentally screamed.

* * *

"Krad!"

Instantly, Satoshi's cobalt eyes opened wide and he shot up in bed, his face pale with terror.

Daisuke then jumped up, nearly hitting his head on the ladder to Yuma's attic. "H-Hiwatari-kun!" he exclaimed. "What's the matter?!"

Satoshi's heavy breathing prevented him from speaking for a minute or two. "Hiwatari-kun?" Daisuke asked worriedly, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"What was all that?" Satoshi thought to himself. "What happened to Krad?"

"Hiwatari-kun," Daisuke said again. "Is something wrong? What happened?"

Satoshi then blinked, regaining light in his glassy eyes. Then he turned to face his friend. "Niwa?"

Then Yuma came up the stairs, Astral following close behind. "What was the screaming?" Yuma asked.

"Sorry," Daisuke said. "Hiwatari-kun just woke up."

"Who is Krad?" Astral asked.

"Huh?" went Yuma. "Got me."

"Got what?" Daisuke asked.

Yuma sweat dropped. "Um...," he began.

"You seem to have forgotten that they cannot see me, Yuma," Astral said.

Yuma didn't want to respond to that. "It's nothing," he told the two boys near his bed. "So what happened? Did Himawari have a bad dream?"

"My **name** is Hiwatari," Satoshi said, sweat dropping slightly. "And I don't really know."

"You screamed Krad's name when you woke up," Daisuke said. "Did you have a nightmare about him or something?"

Satoshi slowly looked at his shaky hand. "I don't know," he said hesitantly.

"Well, what was your dream about?" Yuma asked. "That might help."

Satoshi didn't know what was going through his head when he listened.

"It was...a world. It was bright red," he said sleepily. "And...a dragon."

"A dragon?" Daisuke asked.

Satoshi nodded. "It...grabbed hold of Krad. That's when I woke up."

Daisuke quickly noticed that Satoshi was on the verge of nodding off. His eyelids were just barely staying up, and his arms were shaking as they were forced to support his weight. "Why don't you get some more sleep, Hiwatari-kun?" Daisuke suggested, placing his hand on his back. "It was probably just a bad dream."

Satoshi offered no resistance. Slowly, he allowed Daisuke to help him lay back down, adjusting the blanket as Satoshi's cobalt orbs closed to the world again.

When Daisuke was certain Satoshi had fallen asleep, he turned to Yuma and said, "If it's all the same to you, I think we should let him sleep for a while."

"Okay then," Yuma said. "Granny's made some tea anyway. Come on."

"I will stay here for a while longer, Yuma," Astral said.

"Huh? Okay then," Yuma said, directing his attention to the invisible entity. "Come on then, Daisuke."

"Um, okay," Daisuke said, sweat dropping slightly. Then he mentally added, "Who does he keep talking to?"

* * *

After the two boys had gone downstairs, Astral floated over to Satoshi's bedside and looked down. The child prodigy was no longer plagued by nightmares. At least, not at that point. The Astral Being then placed his hand on his chin as he continued to watch Satoshi's chest rise and fall as he slept. "I find it strangely puzzling," Astral said. "What could this boy have seen? And how could he have seen it?"

Then Satoshi uttered something in his sleep. Something he shouldn't have known about.

"Barian."

Instantly, Astral's eyes widened. "What did you just say?" he asked.

No answer. Satoshi was still out of it.

Despite that, Astral remembered what he said. It had been burned into his memory.

"Barian," he said. "Could that have been the world he dreamt about? If so, what does it mean? Who **are** you, boy? Who are the both of you?"

* * *

**D.T.B: [banging on door.] Okay, Duels! Open up! I need some in here! STAT!**

**Satoshi: What is she doing?**

**Yuma: Readying the duels for next chapter, I guess.**

**D.T.B: Yeah. We might be getting some this coming chapter. Or the chapter after. Or BOTH! Can't say. But I want to do them so badly! And we need to get Satoshi out of the bed anyway before you all go nuts. **

**Blue Mokona: In the meantime, Review. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**D.T.B: I am very tempted to change the summary. Ugh! Why can't these guys just turn into Numbers and get it over with!? **

**Daisuke: Ummm...B-Barian-san doesn't own DNAngel.**

**Satoshi: She also doesn't own Zexal, the studio that is working with us for this story.**

**Krad: I suppose we better get to the story now.**

**Dark: Yeah. Come on! I'm the main character, aren't I? So why are my appearances so few!?**

**D.T.B: Sidecharacterphobia. Great.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Dueling DNAngel

* * *

The sun was high in the sky the following morning, something that brought great joy to the two resting in the Tsukumo household. Haru Tsukumo slowly made her way to the bottom of the steps and looked up. "Boys," she called out. "Breakfast is ready. Why don't you come down so you can eat?"

"Alright!" Yuma exclaimed, racing down the stairs. "Time for some Duel Fuel!"

"Coming, ma'am," Daisuke said from the top of the stairs. He then looked over to Satoshi, who was just starting to wake up. "Hey, Hiwatari-kun, want to go get some breakfast? It might help you wake up."

"I don't know," Satoshi said sleepily. "Just give me a few minutes."

Daisuke knew that those few minutes would surely become a half hour – no thanks to Satoshi's blood pressure – but he didn't take it any further. Instead, he said, "Okay then," and went downstairs, leaving Satoshi to wake himself up.

* * *

True to his thoughts, Satoshi wasn't able to sit up in bed until fifteen minutes after they left him. That is including the time Akari spent trying to wake him up, only to fail because he was already 'awake.' Another fifteen minutes or so passed before he was finally allowed to blink and realize, "Oh, shoot. I've gotta get up."

Forcing his body to move, he got out of bed, his bare feet touching the cold wood below him. Rubbing his eyes to speed up the wake-up call he so badly needed, he noticed that somebody had left some clothes out for him to wear that day. How did he know, you ask? Well, they actually had the kindness to write a short letter for him and place it on the clothing.

"_Your old shirt was torn to pieces, so here's some new clothes for you to wear._"

Complete with smily face.

Satoshi might have been slightly weirded out if he wasn't too busy waking up. Shrugging, he placed the note on the desk, pulled his pajama top over his head, and grabbed hold of the shirt that had been left out for him.

A light blue short-sleeve with a turnover collar.

He gave the collar a quick tug as he made his way down the stairs. ←[He didn't have to change his pants because the only thing they changed was his shirt, which, as you might remember, was torn to pieces.] "Good morning," he said.

"Oh," went Haru. "Good morning, child. How are you feeling?"

Satoshi remained silent for a moment, but then looked at Haru. "I'm fine," he said. "Thank you for asking."

"Are you sure?" Haru asked. "You were rather feverish last night."

"It was nothing," Satoshi said, sitting down in the chair beside Daisuke.

Daisuke, naturally, wasn't very convinced of his friend's good health. Satoshi never was the healthiest boy in the world, so it worried him to no end to hear that he was fading in one way or another. Even seeing him with a headache was enough to scare Daisuke at least a little.

"So, kids," Akari said suddenly, biting a piece of fish, "what brings you here?"

Both boys froze. That was a very difficult thing to explain. "Well," Daisuke began. "It's kinda complicated."

Satoshi to the rescue.

"We're here looking for some relatives of ours," he said. "We think they might be here somewhere."

"Ah," went Akari. "What's their names? Maybe I've heard of them."

"I doubt it," Satoshi said. "Their names are Dark Mousy and Krad Hikari."

Akari thought about it for a minute or two. "Sorry," she said ruefully. "I've never heard of them."

"I thought so," Satoshi said.

"Well, it was worth a try," Daisuke said.

"Hey!" went Yuma. "I've got a great idea. Why don't I take you around the city? Maybe we'll run into them."

Daisuke sweat dropped. "Uh, I kinda doubt it," he said. "Thanks for offering though."

"I have to agree," Satoshi said, picking up some rice and a set of chopsticks. "It's unlikely we'll just run into them."

"You never know," Yuma said. "We might."

"No," Satoshi said. "I'm pretty sure we won't just happen upon them. They're kinda secretive."

"Yeah," Daisuke agreed. "Well, except Dark."

Yuma then jumped up. "Even if it's a small chance, it's worth a shot, isn't it?" he asked.

Even Satoshi had to admit that he had him there.

"W-Well," Daisuke began.

"And I actually have a friend who might be able to find your relatives," Yuma added. "We can go ask him for help."

"This 'friend' isn't another one of your dueling buddies, I hope," Akari said.

"Well," went Yuma. "Actually, it's Kaito."

"I thought so."

"Who's Kaito?" Daisuke asked, a nerve struck at the mere mention of the name. (Dark Mousy is called "Kaito" in Japanese, meaning "Phantom Thief.")

"A friend of mine," Yuma said. "He's really smart, so who knows? He might be able to help find your relatives."

"I doubt it," Satoshi said. "But it's definitely worth a shot."

"Alright then!" Yuma exclaimed. "Let's get going! Kattobingu da, ORE!"

This time, both boys sweat dropped. "Katto," Satoshi began.

"Bingu?" Daisuke completed, tilting his head to the side. "What's that? An expression?"

"A way of life," Yuma said. "Anyway, let's go! The day's not getting any younger."

"You mean now?" the Tamers asked in disbelief.

The look on Yuma's face was in the affirmative.

Oh, boy.

* * *

(In the middle of Heartland City.)

"Okay, Kaito," Yuma said, talking into a strange piece of plastic and glass. "Thanks. We'll wait."

The piece of plastic and glass then shut down and Yuma placed it in his pocket. "Okay," he said, "Kaito's on his way. But he might be a while. Apparently, he's got to wake Orbital up and that takes a few minutes."

"Who's Orbital?" Daisuke asked. "Is he another friend of yours?"

"Yep," went Yuma. He then took a quick look around. Then his face shifted from enjoyed to unamused "I'm bored."

"Well," went Daisuke, "what do you want to do? You've helped us. Maybe we can help you."

"Really?" Yuma asked. His eyes began to sparkle. "Can you guys duel!?"

Both boys sweat dropped again. "Duel?" Satoshi asked. "What's that?"

"You don't know!?" Yuma asked, falling down anime-style. "How can you not know? It's one of the coolest things in the world."

"Only to you, Yuma," Astral said, appearing from the Emperor's Key. "It is possible that they come from a place where it is not frequently spoken about."

"Aw, Astral," went Yuma, "way to ruin my morning."

"Astral?" Satoshi asked. "And who might that be?"

Instantly, Yuma jumped. "Um, never mind," he said. "So, you really can't duel?"

"I don't think so," Daisuke admitted. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Then I know what we have to do," Yuma said. "Follow me!"

"Huh!?" went Daisuke. "W-Wait for me."

Then the boys followed after Yuma, who was racing right into the place you'd figure he'd go.

The dueling store.

* * *

Satoshi and Daisuke examined the equipment that Yuma had purchased for them curiously. A metal bracelet attached to a strange, long, multicolored, box-like piece of...something. (I can't describe it any better.) The one for Satoshi was aqua blue, nearly aquamarine, while the one for Daisuke was garnet red, a brighter color than Yuma's, so less likely to get mixed up.

Their eye-pieces – D-Gazers, as Yuma called them – carried the same color scheme. Satoshi's was blue with a white lens while Daisuke's was red with a violet lens. Both were shaped like a wing of sorts.

Satoshi raised his D-Gazer over his head. "I don't understand," he said. "What are these things?"

"I don't know either," Daisuke said sadly, hanging his head in defeat.

"They're D-Gazers," Yuma said. "You wear them during duels."

"And these?" Daisuke asked, holding his red box thingy.

"Those are Duel Disks. They're what you summon your monsters on."

Both Tamers were approaching the point where they would **scream**. Duels? D-Gazers? Duel Disks? **Monsters!?** What the heck was going on?!

Fortunately for Yuma, Satoshi would control his emotions, and Daisuke was too nice to yell. Especially when the person in question was nice enough to help without asking anything in return.

"So," went Yuma, holding up his own Duel Disk, "wanna try your new gear out while we're waiting for Kaito?"

Except that.

"But we don't even know **how** to duel!" Daisuke snapped.

"Then I'll teach you," Yuma said. "Don't worry. I'm a great dueling teacher."

"I must disagree, Yuma," Astral said. "You cannot even teach **yourself** how to wake up in the morning. Can you truly teach these boys to duel?"

"Sure, I can," Yuma said, giving Astral a thumb's-up. "Don't worry."

"Who are you talking to?" Satoshi asked.

Daisuke had to agree with his implication. "That's the third time you've spoken to someone who wasn't there," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Who? Me?" Yuma asked. "I'm totally fine. Don't worry. It's just a dueling ghost."

"Dueling ghost?" Satoshi and Daisuke thought.

"Anyway," Yuma said, readying his duel disk, "let's duel."

Daisuke eyed the contraption in his hands for a moment or two, but then attempted to mimic what Yuma had done, throwing the duel disk onto his wrist. And doing so without breaking it. (His wrist, not the duel disk.)

Satoshi followed shortly after. It was a very good thing he had an eidetic memory, otherwise, he might have needed Yuma to repeat the movements before he dared attempt it.

"D-Gazer, set!" Yuma shouted, throwing his D-Gazer onto his face.

The boys followed in a slower manner. (Who'd want to try breaking their nose attempting some of Yuma's crazy antics?) Daisuke's nearly fell off the first three times, but it eventually got the message and stayed put.

Behold a good reason for Satoshi to wear glasses 24/7. He knew what to do with the stupid D-Gazer.

"Now, draw your 5 cards, my friends," Yuma said. "It's time to duel!"

The boys did so, curious as to where this whole thing was going.

"And let's duel!" Yuma shouted happily.

* * *

[Satoshi – 4000 LP] [Daisuke – 4000 LP] [Yuma – 4000 LP]

"I'll go first, just to show you guys what you're supposed to do," Yuma said. "Ore no turn! DRAW!"

He looked at his card and grinned. "Alright, I play the spell, **Gagaga Summon!** This card allows me to summon two Gagaga monsters from my hand, but their attack points and defense points are dropped to zero. So, I summon Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl."

The two monsters then appeared on the field.

Both Daisuke and Satoshi caught themselves jumping back.

"Um," went Daisuke, "what's going on? Where did they come from?"

"Apparently, this is called Augmented Reality," Satoshi said, looking through an instruction book. "Our D-Gazers allow us to see the monsters appear on the field, just as they look on the card."

"Wow," Daisuke breathed. "That's actually pretty cool."

"I'm glad you like it so far," Yuma said. "Because now, I activate Gagaga Magician's ability. I get to choose a level from 1 to 8 and he becomes that level for the rest of the turn. So Gagaga Magician's level becomes level 3."

Three of the golden indentations on the magician's belt then lit up.

[Gagaga Magician. Lv 4 → Lv 3]

"Now, I overlay both Gagaga monsters," Yuma said. "This allows me to Xyz summon one monster from my Extra Deck."

"Xyz Summon?" Daisuke asked.

Satoshi consulted his rule book that time. "Xyz Summon," he read. "It's a kind of summon that involves the levels of the monsters used for the summon. He used to level 3 monsters to summon another, so the Xyz monster is going to be something called a 'rank 3.' And on top of that, the monsters that are used to summon it remain on the field as something called 'overlay units.'"

"That's right!" Yuma said enthusiastically. "So I Xyz summon Muzurhythm the String Djinn!"

The monster then appeared on the field, playing a tune on his double-necked guitar, a rose between his teeth.

[String Djinn. Rank 3. 1500 ATK, 1000 DEF]

"Wow!" Daisuke exclaimed. "That's...one tiny monster." ←[Approx. 4 ft, 3 in.]

Yuma nearly fell over. "I-It doesn't matter about his size!" He exclaimed. "The point is his strength and power. So, now, I end my turn with him."

"Daisuke," Satoshi said, "how about you go next?"

"Okay," Daisuke responded. "So...I draw." He pulled his card out and flipped it around. "So, now...I summon **Phantom Prowler**."

A DARK attribute monster appeared on the field, his slim body and long legs allowing easy mobility. He was wearing a uniform suitable for a thief. (An actual thief. Not a Phantom Thief. XD )

[Phantom Prowler. Lv 2. 800 ATK, 800 DEF. Placed in Defense mode.]

"Then, I lay one card facedown, and I'll end it at that," Daisuke said.

"Sweet move, Daisuke!" Yuma said enthusiastically. "Now it's your turn, Himawari."

"**Hiwatari**," Satoshi said firmly. "Here I go then." He drew his card and looked at it. "And I summon **The Angel of Light.**"

An angel with long, golden hair appeared on the field, a tunic draped over his body.

[The Angel of Light. Lv 4. 1600 ATK, 1500 DEF]

" "According to the rule book," Satoshi said, "when it comes to a Battle Royal, which is what we're doing, no player can attack on the first turn. So I'll lay one card facedown and I'll end my turn at that."

"Yeah, that's true," Yuma said. "So, I'll just start up my turn now! Ore no turn! DRAW!" He then pointed to Satoshi's monster. "Okay then," he said. "I'll have Muzurhythm attack your Angel of Light."

"But," went Daisuke, "can your monster attack another monster with more attack points than him?"

"He can," Yuma said, "because I'm gonna use Muzurhythm's special ability. By detaching one overlay, his attack points double."

"That's a pretty powerful ability," Satoshi admitted.

[The String Djinn. 1500 → 3000 ATK]

"Now, Muzurhythm, attack his Angel of Light!" Yuma shouted.

The demonic short-stuff (Oh, he's gonna kill me.) then played a tune on his guitar.

"Sorry," Satoshi said, "but I'm afraid that won't work."

"Whaddaya mean?" Yuma asked.

Satoshi's facedown then flipped face up.

Negate Attack.

"Huh, what!?" Yuma exclaimed as his monster's attack was thrown off.

"I thought it was strange that you summoned a monster with low attack points," Satoshi said. "So I prepared that trap, just in case."

"That is an excellent move," Astral said. "And this is his first time in a duel." He looked down to Yuma. "This is a very interesting position, Yuma."

"I know," Yuma agreed.

"Who is he talking to?" Satoshi thought curiously.

"He's beginning to remind me of me and Dark," Daisuke thought.

The duel could go no further than that.

* * *

(Somewhere else.)

"This is ridiculous, Dark Mousy!" Krad snapped. "I am not going to flee from a dragon!"

"Oh, yeah!?" Dark responded, running through the garnet forest of crystal. "You're the one who screamed for your master when it tried to **eat **you!"

"That is different and you know it!" Krad growled.

"Hardly!" Dark snapped back.

The loud roar of a dragon forced the Angels to pick up speed. It was either that or become Dragon food.

After they couldn't run anymore, they quickly ducked into a cave.

Instantly, Krad had a complaint.

"Not only am I stuck with you," he growled, "I'm forced into a cave that reeks of reptile."

"If you don't like it, then why don't you just go out there and see if he'll spare you?" Dark snapped.

"No, thank you," Krad spat back.

The dragon then started making his way over to the cave, sniffing for their scent.

Apparently, it was really attracted to Krad's shampoo. Satoshi was going to have to make a mental note to switch his soap sometime. If Krad ever got back to remind him anyway.

The dragon then started sniffing around some more, closer this time.

Then he backed away.

Pause.

"I think we're okay," Dark said with a laugh. "Must have found a better meal."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Dark," Krad spat.

"Hehehe."

Then suddenly, the dragon snapped his neck forward, his jade green eyes snapping with anger. And possibly hunger.

Both Angels screamed as a result. The dragon looked ready to eat them alive.

"Daisuke!" Dark shouted.

"Satoshi-sama!" Krad screamed.

* * *

Instantly, Satoshi and Daisuke felt a burning sensation in their chests. Satoshi fell forward, his shoulders heaving as he fought to keep his breath. Daisuke pressed his hands against his head as he stumbled back. "H-Hey, what's the matter?!" Yuma asked. "Are you two okay?"

"K-Krad," Satoshi choked out.

"Dark, what's going on?" Daisuke asked. "What am I...What am I seeing?!"

"Yuma! Something is wrong!?" Astral shouted.

"I know," Yuma said, racing forward. "Guys, what's the deal!?"

Satoshi then fell forward, a grey-gloved hand catching him only moments before he would hit the ground.

Yuma was successful in catching Daisuke, while Kaito was successful in catching Satoshi. "So," Kaito began, "what did I miss?"

* * *

**D.T.B: [nonchalant] Yay. I sent you guys a longer chapter, a duel that hardly extended one turn, a Kaito cameo, a cliffhanger ending, and a crazy whatever-the-heck I did. Probably not what you saw coming, but I guess I'm a little unpredictable at times. Please review and I'll see you later.**


End file.
